Chapter 24 #2
Ben pulled back with a frown. “Are you expecting anyone?”
“If I still lived in my apartment, I’d say it was Mrs. Calhoun. But this would be an awfully long walk for her.”
The knock came again, followed by singing.
“God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay—”
Charlie started laughing from pure joy—which hurt her ribs but she didn't care. Those were some very familiar voices. And dog howls.
Ben got up and opened the door, Flo right at his heels, tail wagging a mile a minute.
Their entire family stood on the broad porch. Stephanie was front and center, wearing reindeer antlers and an ugly Christmas sweater with knitted tire treads across it. She was leading the caroling with dramatic hand gestures. Behind her stood Dr. Boyfriend—William—looking amused.
I guess he’s part of the family now too, Charlie thought.
Behind him were Arden and Kyle. Gabe and Rochelle.
Bear with Star sitting on his shoulders and Ellie at his side.
Elias and Wren. Shane with April and their son, Kevin.
Waylon and Frankie with baby Danny bundled in a little red snowsuit and Santa hat.
Gina and Lachlan. Alex and Sylvie. Hannah, and Sandra, and Nettie.
Flint and Harper, Badger and Brianna. Jodie, and Mac, and Colin, all from Watchdog.
And a whole lotta dogs.
Stephanie stopped singing mid-verse. “Benjamin Massey, did you really think you could get away with proposing to our Charlie without all of us?”
Our Charlie.
She could have died of happiness right there and then.
“Yes, actually, I thought I could,” Ben said.
“Well.” Stephanie's eyes sparkled. “Shows what you know.”
“Don't worry,” Arden said, holding up several insulated bags. “We're just feeding the lovebirds, and then we'll be on our way.”
“Wouldn't mind some of that cider I know you brewed gallons of though,” Elias said, already pushing past Ben into the house.
“And I wanna see that ring, girlfriend!” Wren pushed right in behind her husband.
“Make yourselves at home,” Ben said, his voice drier than the cider. “All of you.”
But of course he was smiling. And Charlie was smiling. And suddenly the Victorian was full of noise and laughter and love.
Stephanie commandeered the kitchen, directing Arden and Rochelle in laying out enough food to feed an army. Kyle built up the fire. Bear settled into the armchair with Star, while Frankie perched on the couch next to Charlie with Danny.
“Let me see it,” Frankie demanded, as Wren stood behind the couch pursing her lips and snapping her fingers like demanding royalty.
Charlie held up her hand. The ring caught the firelight, the blue stones glowing.
“Oh my God,” Wren breathed. “Ben, I love the rings you made for Elias and me, but this? It’s your best work.”
“Of course it is,” Stephanie said, appearing with a plate of colorful sugar cookies. “The man's a romantic. Who knew? Don’t answer that.”
Ben's ears went red but he was grinning.
Shane raised his glass of cider. “To Ben and Charlie. The couple who survived an avalanche and still said yes.”
“To Ben and Charlie!” everyone chorused.
The evening dissolved into warmth and chaos.
Food and drink and laughter and happy dogs underfoot.
Baby Danny grabbed at Charlie's necklace with his tiny fists.
Star toddled over to Flo, patted her very gently…
and calling her Spot Skunk. Someone turned on some music and Brianna, April, and Hannah did their best Sixties Girl Band impressions.
Elias and Lachlan argued about whether or not Die Hard was a Christmas movie, to which Charlie shouted, “Of course it is!” and Arden hugged her for that.
Stephanie regaled everyone with the story of how she knew Charlie and Ben were meant for each other the moment she met them.
At one point, a line streaked through the house, ending under the mistletoe.
Eventually, as midnight approached, people started bundling up to leave. Hugs and congratulations and promises to help plan the wedding were plentiful. Arden especially told her that they should get together between Christmas and New Years.
“I’d love that,” Charlie told her friend.
Finally, it was just Ben and Charlie again.
Flo snored quietly on her dog bed by the fire.
The tree lights glowed. The house smelled like balsam and cinnamon and fresh Christmas cookies.
Charlie sat with the ring on her finger and the fire dying down and Ben dozing lightly against her good side, and she thought about Joey.
It's late, she told herself. It's Christmas Eve. He's probably with friends, or his wife, or—
She stopped.
His wife. She didn't even know if he was married. She didn't know anything about him.
She eased herself carefully off the couch, trying not to wake Ben. Flo lifted her head.
"Stay," Charlie whispered. "I'll be right back."
Flo ignored her for once, got up, and trotted beside her. Charlie grinned down at the dog who knew what was best for her.
She padded to the kitchen in her wool socks and pulled up the contact she’d copied onto her phone from the Watchdog voicemail months ago. She still hadn’t attached Joey’s name to it.
It's almost midnight. This is a terrible idea.
She hit call.
It rang three times. Four. She was about to hang up when he answered, slightly breathless, clearly distracted.
"Yeah, hang on—is this the driver? Because I said the blue house with the—"
"Joey."
Silence.
"It's—it's Charlene."
The silence stretched so long she thought the call had dropped.
"Charlie." His voice came out strange and small, then louder. "Oh my God. Charlie."
"I'm sorry it's so late, I shouldn't have… I can call back tomorrow—"
"Don't you dare hang up." His voice cracked. "Don't you dare."
She pressed her hand over her mouth.
"I've been wanting to talk to you for years," he said, and he sounded wrecked, and young, and like the little kid she'd left behind.
"After you left, Dad said…he told us you wanted nothing to do with us.
That you hated us. Patrick and James believed him, they just, they went along with it, but I never… Charlie, I never believed that."
"I didn't hate you," she managed through her tears. "Joey, I never hated you. Not for a single second."
He exhaled shakily. "I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I was terrible to you when I got older.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Charlie felt a tear slip down her cheek. Flo nuzzled her and she stooped to pet her.
“It does matter, Charlie. It does. And I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” Joey choked up before he continued. "So, you’re in Colorado. Are you okay? Are you safe?"
"I'm really good, actually." She looked through the kitchen doorway at the fire, at Ben's sleeping silhouette. Then she looked the ring on her finger. "I'm happy, Joey. I found my home and my family."
He was quiet for a moment.
"I just got engaged," Charlie said to fill the space. "Tonight, actually. About two hours ago."
Joey made a sound that was half laugh, half sob. "Are you serious? Tell me everything."
So she did.
And he told her everything too. He'd joined the military straight out of school and he was in San Diego now. “So you weren’t calling me late at all.”
He'd met his wife out there and they'd been married two years. His voice turned serious.
“I called Watchdog because I’m gonna be a dad.”
“What? When?”
“She’s just over four months along. I tried calling you right after we got the news. I wanted you to know you were going to be an aunt.”
Charlie had to sit down on the kitchen floor for that one and hug Flo.
“So, you just got engaged? Who is he?" Joey asked.
"He’s a former Ranger turned blacksmith. He's enormous and gentle and he makes chainmail and he sings folk songs and he's the best man I've ever met and he loves BattleLore."
"He’s a blacksmith who loves BattleLore." She could hear the grin in Joey’s voice. "Of course he is. Of course my sister ends up with a guy like that."
My sister. The words hit her somewhere she hadn't known was still tender.
"So, I'm on leave until the new year. Maybe," Joey said carefully, like he was afraid of pushing too hard, "we could—if you wanted—maybe we could meet up? No pressure. I just… I really want to meet your blacksmith. And you could meet my wife."
Charlie pressed her back against the kitchen cabinets and stared at the ceiling.
"Yeah." Her voice came out rough. "Yeah, Joey. I really want that too."
They talked for another hour, until Charlie heard a woman’s voice the background asking if everything was okay because the food was getting cold and Joey said, his voice warm and proud, “It's Charlie. It’s my sister calling me back. We’re gonna meet up, baby. She’s excited for us.”
After they finally said goodnight, Charlie sat in the dark kitchen for a long moment, the phone still warm in her hand, Flo’s head on her leg. She thought briefly about her mum and wondered if she'd ever be brave enough for that particular phone call.
Not tonight. But maybe someday.
Especially since it looked like Joey was back in her life. Maybe they could reach out to their mother together.
She got up and went back to Ben.
He stirred as she settled against him. "Everything okay?" he murmured without opening his eyes.
"Better than okay." She tucked herself carefully into his side and looked at the ring on her finger. "I'll tell you in the morning."
He pulled her closer.
“Merry Christmas, Princess,” he said softly.
“Merry Christmas, Ben the Forger of the Ember Sword.”
She looked at the ring on her finger, then at the drawing of her friend Sean and his brothers propped on the mantel. Looked at the man in her arms—her blacksmith, her gentle giant, her home.
“I love you,” Charlie whispered.
“I love you too.” Ben pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Always.”
Outside, snow began to fall. Soft and gentle and nothing like an avalanche.
Just gentle and beautiful.
The beautiful beginning of their always.